Systems and methods for automated mass media commerce

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for implementing point of advertising purchasing include using mass media publications configured for or containing service, product or vendor transmittable signals, such as from radio frequency identification tags. In a preferred arrangement, a consumer perceiving an advertisement of the mass media publication may activate a reader in a portable communications device, such as a smart mobile or cellular phone, to receive information from the radio frequency signal associated with the advertisement to identify a vendor, product or service associated with the radio frequency identification. The smart mobile phone or communications device of the consumer may communicate with a system of a vendor across a network to order a product or product information from a system of the vendor over the network by using the information from the radio frequency identification.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/987,823, filed on Nov. 12, 2004, which claims the benefit of thefiling date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/552,472 filedMar. 12, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wireless commerce systems. Moreparticularly, the invention involves a point of advertising wirelesscommerce system to enable pervasive commerce with mass mediapublications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditionally, vendors of services and product utilize mass media toadvertise their products. Thus, a vendor will publish an ad describingservice or products in magazines, catalogs, billboards, newspapers,radio or television broadcast publications. The advertisement is aimedat attracting the interest of a potential consumer. However, in order tomove beyond the stage of advertising, much effort is required by theconsumer.

The consumer typically has to either remember advertised information ifany interest in an advertised product or service will be pursued by theconsumer. In the situation where an advertisement includes contactinformation such as a telephone number, a consumer can dial the phonenumber to contact a vendor from information in the advertisement using atelephone, wireless or cellular phone. But the amount of effort that isrequired by the consumer from the point of advertisement to consummationof an actual purchase from the vendor can work against the vendor.Consumers can easily forget telephone numbers, URLs or other calls toaction or simply lose interest in an advertised product or service astime goes by after the consumer recognizes the advertisements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an automated system for improving the wayconsumers respond to advertisements or otherwise contact vendors fromthe point of perceiving an advertisement. In one form, a system forprocessing a wireless order from a vendor over a network from a massmedia publication includes a mass media publication with anadvertisement. The mass media publication has a wireless identificationtransmission signal representing information of the advertisement. Inthe system, a mobile ordering device comprising a reader receives thewireless identification transmission signal from the mass mediapublication. The mobile ordering device is also configured to acceptinput from a consumer, generate a request with information from thewireless identification transmission signal and communicate the requestto and receive a response from a vendor system across a network. Thesystem also includes a vendor system for receiving and processing therequest of the mobile ordering device across the network, and respondingto the request by sending information to the mobile ordering device. Thesent information is associated with the wireless identificationtransmission signal from the mass media publication.

The invention also involves a method for making a wireless order from aconsumer to a vendor over a network from a mass media publication. Theconsumer reviews a mass media publication with a perceivableadvertisement. The mass media publication includes a wirelesstransmission identification signal representing information about avendor or product associated with the advertisement. The consumer mayinitiate receipt of the wireless transmission identification signal witha portable communications device configured to receive the wirelesstransmission identification signal. The consumer may then generate arequest for information from a vendor over a wireless link of acommunications network with the portable communications device such thatthe request includes information from the wireless transmissionidentification signal. The consumer then receives a response to theconsumer request from the vendor over the wireless link of thecommunications network at the portable communications device to getadditional information about the product or confirm a purchase made inthe request.

The invention also may involve a hand-held apparatus for making awireless order from a consumer to a vendor over a network from a massmedia publication. The apparatus includes a transceiver for transmittingand receiving wireless signals for communicating with a vendor systemover a network. The apparatus also includes a reader device configuredto read vendor or product information transmitted from a mass mediapublication containing a radio frequency identifier with the vendor orproduct, the radio frequency identifier being associated with anadvertisement of the mass media publication. A control processor of theapparatus, coupled to the transceiver and reader device, is configuredfor accepting input by a user of the apparatus to initiate reading ofthe radio frequency identifier of the mass media publication with thereader device. The control processor further generates a request forinformation about the vendor or product with the radio frequencyidentifier and communicates the request to the vendor system with thetransceiver. The control processor also controls receiving a responsewith information from the vendor system.

In another form, the invention includes a method for taking a wirelessorder from a consumer by a vendor over a network from a mass mediapublication. A vendor advertises a product or service in a mass mediapublication. The mass media publication is configured with a radiofrequency identifier with information associated with the product orservice advertised. The radio frequency identifier is readable by aportable wireless communications device available to a consumer. Thevendor configures a vendor system to receive an electronic order from aconsumer across a network using the portable wireless communicationsdevice. The order is based on a request with information from the radiofrequency identifier. The vendor system includes further product orservice information associated with the radio frequency identifier. Thevendor then can respond to the orders from the consumer by providing thefurther information to the consumer.

In one form, the mass media publication is a printed publication havingat least one radio frequency identification tag for identifying a vendoror product. However, many such identifications or tags may be used fordifferent vendors or products. The mass media publication may also be abillboard, periodical, magazine, mailer or a post card, etc. having oneor more radio frequency identifiers or RFID tags. In a preferred form,the mobile ordering or consumer communications device is also a mobile,wireless, cellular and/or “smart” telephone equipped for voice and datacommunication.

Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent from a review ofthe drawings, the following disclosure, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representation of a consumer with a preferred point ofadvertising wireless ordering device receiving vendor productidentification signals transmitted from a billboard mass mediapublication;

FIG. 2 is a representation of a preferred point of advertising orderingapplication in a wireless ordering device;

FIG. 3 is a network diagram of an example embodiment including preferredcomponents of a wireless mass media commerce system of the inventionincluding a point of advertising ordering device; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of preferred steps for achieving a wireless massmedia commerce system of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures, where like numerals indicate similar features,a point of advertising ordering system 2 for electronic commerce of theinvention typically includes a wireless ordering device 4 that ispreferably accessible to a mobile consumer, such as a laptop, hand heldor palm computer, a personal data assistant (PDA) or other programmableinput/output processing device such as a smart mobile phone, wirelessphone or cellular telephone. The consumer accessible point ofadvertising ordering device 4 is configured for connection or networkingto other systems or computers via one or more communications mechanismsfor purposes of ordering information or products and services from oneor more vendors. While such communication links may in part beimplemented as a physical connection such as a telephone line, cable orcontact based (e.g., cradle) hook-up, in a preferred embodiment, theordering device 4 at least includes a communications mechanism that canlink the device to other systems via a wireless communications channel.

For example, the device may be configured for Wireless Fidelity (WiFi®)networking (wireless networking), Bluetooth® networking (wirelessnetworking) and/or communications over a mobile telephone network fortransmitting data and/or voice with a transceiver (e.g., General PacketRadio Service (GPRS)). Where such networked communications involvetransfer of signals or messages over one or more network(s) 6 thatincludes an open-type network, such as an internet or the Internet,preferably such signals or messages are encrypted. As will be describedin more detail herein, the wireless ordering device 4 also preferablyincludes a reader mechanism for determining vendor, product or serviceinformation from a mass media publication 4.

The point of advertising ordering system 2 also includes a mass mediapublication 10 configured for transmitting product, service and/orvendor information signals associated with an advertisement of the massmedia publication 10. Preferably, the mass media publication transmitssuch information by means of radio frequency identification technology(RFID). For example, RFID technology, such as ultra thin transpondertags 11, may be inserted, applied or incorporated into the mass mediapublication and associated with a human perceivable advertisement of avendor, product or service. The RFID includes information to identify avendor, product and/or service (i.e., commerce information). Preferably,the vendor, product and/or service may also be contained in, presentedor described in the advertisement. In the RFID tag example, transmissionof vendor, product and/or service information or commerce signals may beactive or passive.

The RFID transmission may include a particular number or numbers thatmay be associated with particular vendor, product and/or serviceinformation, such as a vendor name, vendor contact informationincluding, for example, a phone number, network address, mailing addressor other, quantity information, cost, price, type of product, type ofservice, etc. Thus, when used to request or order information or make apurchase, the number transmitted in the signal may be used to access therelated information stored in a database as will be explained in moredetail herein.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, examples of the mass media publicationcontaining RFID and other advertisement may be a magazine, news paper,periodical, mailer, post card, outdoor or out-of-home media, billboard,bus shelter poster board, car card, tent card, catalog or a broadcastmessage such as a radio or television communication, whether transmittedvia wireless transmission (e.g., radio transmissions or satellite)and/or cable transmission in whole or in part. For example, a magazinemay include one or more RFID tags with each associated with a particularproduct, service or vendor. Each tag may be located near a humanperceivable advertisement in the magazine. In another example, a radioor television connected by cable, satellite or otherwise, may beequipped or attached with a re-programmable tag or device that may bechangeable for re-transmitting different RFID's from the tag or devicedepending on the content of the broadcast signals received by the radioor television and the tag or device.

In general, the point of advertising ordering system 2 may also includecommerce related systems such as one or more vendor systems 12.Generally, the vendor system 12 is accessible by the network 6 and maybe associated with an advertisement contained in a mass mediapublication 10 as well as the associated commerce signal enabled by themass media publication 10. It is preferred that the vendor system 12 beenabled for receiving or processing requests for vendor/product/serviceinformation and responding to them. Thus, in a typical arrangement, thecommerce system 12 may electronically receive an order for moreinformation or an actual purchase order over the network 6 and send backresponses concerning these transactions in response to a transactioninitiated by a consumer with a wireless ordering device 4. The vendorsystem would typically include one or more servers coupled bycommunications device(s) to the network 6 and would include applicationsoftware for accessing information in a database associated with vendorproducts or services and communicating with systems over the network.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the commerce system of the invention may alsooptionally include a commerce data organization system 14. The commercedata organization system can serve to organize transactions over thenetwork based on vendor/product/service or other commerce facilitatingsignals from a mass media publication 10 of the invention. Generally,the commerce data organization system 14 may manage informationassociated with the commerce signals. Thus, a database or other storagestructure of one or more servers of the commerce data organizationsystem 14 may include vendor information including contact details forelectronically accessing a vendor system 12 over a network. Similarly,such vendor information may include product and service description ordetails about a product or service that may be advertised in thewirelessly enabled mass media publication 10 and particularly associatedwith commerce signals transmittable from or in the mass mediapublication 10. Like the vendor servers, the commerce data organizationsystem would typically include a communications device for communicatingwith other systems and devices over the network (6).

Such a commerce data organization system 14 may also be utilized topreserve and organize transaction details concerning requests forinformation or purchases (i.e., order information) based on requestsgenerated by a wireless ordering device 4 with commerce signalsemanating from the wirelessly enabled mass media publication 10. Thus,the system may track or maintain product availability from differentvendors or different vendor's locations, customer purchases orinformation requests and buying habits, dates and times of suchtransactions, product/service options, payment methods etc. Such asystem may even be utilized to maintain account information (e.g.,credit or cash card numbers), shipping address information, etc. forpurchases by consumers to minimize repeated entry of such data by theconsumer with a wireless ordering device 10.

The commerce data organization system 14 may electronically act toarrange a purchase through the network 6 by communicating with anothervendor system 12 in the event that an electronic purchase order isreceived from a wireless ordering device 4. Alternatively, such apurchase may be placed between the wireless ordering device 4 and thevendor system 12, while the commerce data organization system serves topreserve data of such transactions and/or provide access to data forsuch transactions based on requests with or for information receivedfrom either the vendor system 12 or wireless ordering device 4.Optionally, the commerce data organization system may also act as avendor system 12.

As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, the wireless ordering device 4generally includes a processor 20 and memory 22 with processor controlinstructions and/or other microcontroller or other application specificelectronic control circuitry. The ordering device also includes one ormore wireless transceiver circuit(s) 24. Such circuit(s) may serve asthe communications mechanism for purposes of ordering information orproducts and services from one or more vendors as well as the readermechanism for determining vendor, product or service information from amass media publication 4. Such transceiver circuit(s) 24 may beincorporated into the wireless ordering device 4 or attachable orinsertable as expansion modules, cards or components of such a device,for example, by coupling with or into a wireless phone, PDA or laptop.Preferably, such transceiver circuit(s) 24 is/are incorporated to permitthe wireless ordering device 4 to serve with the communicationsmechanism and reader mechanism as a compact unit for hand-heldoperation.

Consistent with the mass media publication's 10 incorporation of RFIDinformation, the reader mechanism is at least a wireless reader capableof or configured for receiving and decoding vendor, service or productidentification information from the mass media publication. Thus, thewireless ordering device 4 may include an RFID reader for receivingwireless signals from a mass media publication 10 utilizing RFIDtechnology. Optionally, in the case of passive RFID technology, thereader mechanism may be equipped to activate a transmission of RFIDinformation from the mass media publication 10 by transmitting signalsto an RFID tag of the mass media publication 10, for example, to powerthe RFID tag to transmit RFID information to the reader mechanism.

Preferably, such components of the wireless ordering device 4 are usedin conjunction with implementing functionality of a point of advertisingordering application of the wireless ordering device 4. One suchpreferred methodology of such an application is illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

Generally, a consumer with a wireless ordering device 4 may review amass media publication 10, such as the magazine or periodicalpublication illustrated in FIG. 2 or billboard of FIG. 1. As previouslydiscussed, the mass media publication 10 includes a mechanism fortransmitting commerce related signals such as RFID information. Asillustrated in FIG. 4, in a reading step 30, the RFID information isreceived from the mass media publication preferably by wirelesscommunication, which may be initiated by an input command of theconsumer on the wireless ordering device 4. In a processing step 32, thepoint of advertising ordering application 26 will then process the readRFID information on the wireless ordering device 4 depending on input ofthe consumer. Thus, a consumer may input into the wireless orderingdevice 4 that more information about a vendor, product or serviceperceived in an advertisement of the mass media publication 10 should berequested. Optionally, such input may indicate a request to purchasethat which is being perceived by the consumer in the advertisement ofthe mass media publication.

Once the device reads the RFID information, in a generating step 34, thepoint of advertising ordering application controls the wireless orderingdevice 4 to generate a wireless request that includes the RFIDinformation. The request is preferably transmitted from the wirelessordering device 4 over the network(s) 6 to a vendor system 12 and/or thecommerce data organization system 14 as previously described. Such atransmitted request may include a user identification associated with aparticular consumer or a particular wireless ordering device 4.Additional transmitted request information may include password or passcode, form of payment information, media location or media description(e.g., identifiers describing the mass media publication from which thecommerce signal is received.) This information may be coded (e.g., anumber being associated with a name) such that it will be recognized bythe vendor system 12 and/or the commerce data organization system 14upon access of their database or other data storage structures.

In return from the vendor system 12 and/or commerce data organizationsystem 14, the wireless ordering device 4 will receive vendor, productor service information associated with the commerce signal read by thewireless ordering device advertised in the mass media publication 10.Thus, the consumer may, for example, learn by display of information onthe wireless ordering device 4, additional information about anadvertised product or confirm a purchase from a vendor. For example, thevendor system 12 and/or the commerce data organization system 14 maygenerate an email confirmation receivable by the wireless orderingdevice 4.

While the above process has been described by a single request andresponse between the wireless ordering device 10 and the vendor system12 and/or the commerce data organization system 14, multiple electronicrequests and responses between these systems/devices may be implementedto accomplish transactions contemplated by the system. For example,additional requests and/or responses may be transmitted to confirm thata consumer will proceed with a particular purchase so that the detailsof the purchase may be confirmed before purchase by the consumer such asreviewing shipping details, product quantity, price or other detailsetc. that may be related to such transactions.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that otherarrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. A system for processing a wireless order from a vendor over a networkfrom a mass media publication comprising: a mass media publication withan advertisement, the mass media publication further comprising awireless identification transmission signal representing information ofthe advertisement; a mobile ordering device comprising a reader toreceive the wireless identification transmission signal from the massmedia publication, the mobile ordering device further configured toaccept input from a consumer, generate a request with information fromthe wireless identification transmission signal and communicate therequest to and receive a response from a vendor system across a network;a vendor system for receiving and processing the request of the mobileordering device across the network, and responding to the request bysending information to the mobile ordering device, the informationassociated with the wireless identification transmission signal from themass media publication.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a printed publication having at least one radiofrequency identification tag for identifying a vendor or product.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein the mass media publication comprises a postcard having a radio frequency identification tag.
 4. The system of claim1 wherein the mass media publication comprises a magazine having atleast one radio frequency identification tag.
 5. The system of claim 1wherein the mass media publication comprises a periodical having aplurality of radio frequency identification tags of different vendors'products.
 6. The system of claim 2 wherein the mass media publicationcomprises a printed publication having a plurality of radio frequencyidentification tags for identifying a plurality of different vendors'products.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the mobile ordering devicefurther comprises a cellular telephone for voice communication.
 8. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the mass media publication comprises abillboard having a radio frequency identification tag of a vendorassociated with the advertisement of the billboard.
 9. A method formaking a wireless order from a consumer to a vendor over a network froma mass media publication comprising: perceiving a mass media publicationwith a perceivable advertisement, the mass media publication including awireless transmission identification signal representing informationabout a vendor or product associated with the advertisement; initiatingreceipt of the wireless transmission identification signal with aportable communications device configured to receive the wirelesstransmission identification signal, generating a consumer request forinformation from a vendor over a wireless link of a communicationsnetwork in the portable communications device with information from thewireless transmission identification signal; and receiving a response tothe consumer request from the vendor over the wireless link of thecommunications network at the portable communications device.
 10. Themethod of claim 9 wherein the mass media publication comprises a printedpublication having at least one radio frequency identification tag foridentifying a vendor or product.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein themass media publication comprises a mailer having a radio frequencyidentification tag.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a magazine having at least one radio frequencyidentification tag.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a periodical having a plurality of radio frequencyidentification tags of different vendors' products.
 14. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the mass media publication comprises a printedpublication having a plurality of radio frequency identification tagsfor identifying a plurality of different vendors' products.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 wherein the portable ordering device comprises acellular telephone for voice and data communication.
 16. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the mass media publication comprises a billboard havinga radio frequency identification tag of a vendor associated with theadvertisement of the billboard.
 17. A hand-held apparatus for making awireless order from a consumer to a vendor over a network from a massmedia publication comprising: a transceiver for transmitting andreceiving wireless signals for communicating with a vendor system over anetwork; a reader device configured to read vendor or productinformation transmitted from a mass media publication containing a radiofrequency identifier with the vendor or product, the radio frequencyidentifier being associated with an advertisement of the mass mediapublication; a control processor coupled to the transceiver and readerdevice, the control processor configured for accepting input by a userof the apparatus to initiate reading of the radio frequency identifierof the mass media publication with the reader device, generating arequest for information about the vendor or product with the radiofrequency identifier, the request being communicated to the vendorsystem, and receiving a response with information from the vendorsystem.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mass media publicationcomprises a printed publication having at least one radio frequencyidentification tag for identifying a vendor or product, the radiofrequency identification tag being readable by the reader device. 19.The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mass media publication comprises apost card having a radio frequency identification tag being readable bythe reader device.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a magazine having at least one radio frequencyidentification tag.
 21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a periodical having a plurality of radio frequencyidentification tags of different vendors' products, each tag beingreadable by the reader device.
 22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein themass media publication comprises a printed publication having aplurality of radio frequency identification tags for identifying aplurality of different vendors' products, each tag being readable by thereader device.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the apparatus isconfigured as a cellular telephone for communication in a cellularnetwork.
 24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mass mediapublication comprises a billboard having a radio frequencyidentification tag of a vendor associated with the advertisement of thebillboard, the radio frequency identification tag being readable by thereader device.
 25. A method for taking a wireless order from a consumerby a vendor over a network from a mass media publication comprising:advertising a product or service in a mass media publication, the massmedia publication configured with a radio frequency identifier withinformation associated with the product or service advertised, the radiofrequency identifier being readable by a portable wirelesscommunications device; configuring a vendor system to receive anelectronic order from a consumer across a network, the order based on arequest with information from the radio frequency identifier, the vendorsystem including further product or service information associated withthe radio frequency identifier; and responding to the orders from theconsumer by providing the further information to the consumer.
 27. Themethod of claim 25 wherein the mass media publication comprises aprinted publication having at least one radio frequency identificationtag for identifying a vendor or product.
 27. The method of claim 25wherein the mass media publication comprises a post card having a radiofrequency identification tag.
 28. The method of claim 25 wherein themass media publication comprises a magazine having at least one radiofrequency identification tag.
 29. The method of claim 25 wherein themass media publication comprises a periodical having a plurality ofradio frequency identification tags of different vendors' products. 30.The method of claim 25 wherein the mass media publication comprises aprinted publication having a plurality of radio frequency identificationtags for identifying a plurality of different vendors' products.
 31. Themethod of claim 30 wherein the portable wireless communications devicecomprises a cellular telephone for voice and data communication.
 32. Themethod of claim 25 wherein the mass media publication comprises abillboard having a radio frequency identification tag of a vendorassociated with the advertisement of the billboard.
 33. The method ofclaim 25 wherein the mass media publication comprises a broadcast signalhaving a radio frequency identifier of a product associated with theadvertisement of the broadcast signal.
 34. The method of claim 32wherein the broadcast signal is transmitted at least in part by cable.35. The method of claim 32 wherein the broadcast signal is transmittedvia wireless signals.